


Little Golden Flower

by Beleriandings



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, legendarium ladies april
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rosie, Sam and Elanor visit Minas Tirith, and Rosie meets Gondor's queen for the first time. Meanwhile, Elanor doesn't want to leave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Golden Flower

The dance ended and talk and laughter filled the high vault of the hall, ringing off the stone. Rosie smiled happily as Sam kissed her cheek, going to get them both another drink of the pale golden wine that was so ubiquitous in Gondor. 

She tarried by the edge of the dancefloor in no hurry, scanning the room where it spilled out the guests onto a wide balcony on the sixth level, lit with tiny lanterns, and for a moment was perfectly happy. She had hesitated at first about coming along on one of her husband’s visits to his strange friends in this dizzying city of stone, so far away - Rosie was not, as a rule, adventurous, even for a hobbit - and she had hesitated even more in bringing her daughter along. But as she watched Sam listening with a smile on his face to some jest that Merry, Pippin and the lady Éowyn were having over by the far wall, as she watched little Elanor laughing and clapping her hands in delight as the lord Faramir placed a wreath of flowers on the child’s golden curls, she knew she had had no reason to worry. 

“So the the tales are true, Lady Rose” said a voice behind her, making her start. “that, as your husband always said, his sweet lady is the greatest dancer in the world. It’s a joy to meet you at last.”

Rosie turned quickly, to see, to her very great surprise, the queen Arwen behind her, standing beside a column of the gallery, her head inclined curiously.  
“I…” she stammered. “Forgive me, your majesty, I don’t think…”

“Call me Arwen” said the queen, smiling warmly. She seemed less ethereal now than she had when Rosie had first seen her from afar, the breezy warmth of a summer night from the balcony lifting her long, velvet black hair a little. “I was watching you dance.”

“Arwen” said Rosie, tentatively. “And - forgive me, your… I mean Arwen, but if my old Ma heard you calling me Lady Rose… well, I should think she might burst out laughing” she said, with a little rueful laugh herself. “Rosie will do nicely.”

“Rosie” said Arwen, nodding respectfully. “Of course. But as I said, though, the tales of your dancing have travelled far and wide, and rightly too, it would seem!”

Rosie felt herself blush. “Well now, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. Has Sam been spreading tales again? He always did like to wax poetic…”

“He was full of tales of you, when he and Frodo were here, after their triumphant return” she said. “Why, I felt almost guilty that it was only the long wait for my arrival and wedding that stopped him from returning to you in the Shire sooner!”

“You shouldn’t have” said Rosie, blushing brighter. “For he made it in the end, as I always knew he would, even when everyone said he was dead. Better late than never, as I said at the time. But the rascal! If I’ve ended up in songs or tales of the south because of him…”

“Oh, you will certainly be put into songs, of the most beautiful kind” said Arwen, “though not just because of Sam’s words. For one thing, you are the first woman of the periannath to grace this city in living memory or knowledge of the long past. You and your daughter that is. Elanor is a delight, by the way. She will grow up to be just as bright and fair a flower as her mother, I am certain.”

They both looked over to where Elanor was now pulling apart her flower crown and gleefully throwing handfuls of petals at all the guests around her. 

“I stand by my statement” said Arwen, with a laugh. “Ah, but what a sweet child.”

“Soon you’ll have one just as sweet” said Rosie, looking at the swell of Arwen’s pregnancy beneath her soft blue velvet dress. “A little prince or princess!”

“Yes” said Arwen, her face lighting up immediately. She sighed a little then. “But still, I would that my children would be able to have a chance to leave this city of stone, once in a while.”

“Well, they’re always welcome in the Shire, and so are you” said Rosie, “I mean, not that your royalnesses… I mean, not that you’d…”

“I would love to come” said Arwen earnestly. 

“That’s settled then” said Rosie happily. “Bring your children, when you have them and once they’ve grown up a little, and they can dance around the maypole in Bywater with ours. My goodness though, that will give the gossips something to talk of for miles around!”

“I should love to say that I will come” said Arwen, in delight. Her face clouded a little. “But I fear we shall not have much chance to travel, what with the kingdom, and all the daily duties of ruling.”

Rosie was just about to reply, when a tiny figure hurtled into her leg, nearly knocking her off balance. “Mamaaaaaaa” shouted Elanor gleefully. “Ma, I don’t ever want to leave here!”

Rosie and Arwen both laughed. “Ah, my sweet flower” said Rosie, bending down and brushing the golden curls back off Elanor’s face, sending a small flurry of flower petals to the ground. “Neither do I, but we have to go home don’t we? The Shire will miss you.”

“No” said Elanor, folding her arms decisively. “Don’t want to. I want to stay in Mina… Mis…” 

“Minas Tirith” supplied Arwen, with a smile.

“Yes” said Elanor, looking up at her with solemn eyes. “I want to stay here forever!”

“Forever is a long time. Your Daddy’s garden will be overgrown by then!” laughed Rosie. 

“He can go back” said Elanor firmly. “I’m going to stay!”

Arwen was regarding them both intently. “Rosie… I think I may have an idea.”

Rosie looked up at her, questioningly, as Elanor stretched out her small hand to gently touch the soft fabric of Arwen’s dress, in wonder. 

“Hello” said Arwen, crouching down to the floor to meet Elanor’s astonished gaze. “Do you like it here then, little one?”

Elanor nodded in silent wonder, as Arwen’s hand came up to meet the hobbit child’s much smaller one.

“An idea?” said Rosie.

“Yes. I mean… if you and your husband both are willing. How would it be if, when she was older, Elanor were to stay here for a time as a member of my household and of the royal court? Even as one of my own handmaidens. She would be held high in honour in Gondor, as is fitting.” She looked Elanor in the eye again. “I mean… if you would desire it, sweet golden star.”

Elanor seemed to be rendered speechless still by the proposal, and Rosie could not say she blamed her. “Well I never!” Rosie exclaimed. “My daughter, a handmaiden to a queen! What would my mother say?” She collected herself a little. “Well, I should have to think it over…”

“Oh please say yes, Ma!” chirruped Elanor, her voice seemingly returned. “I’d do everything the queen said and I would be ever so good! Please, please, please, please!”

“Now, now. I will think about it, and talk it over with your father” said Rosie. “And only when you’re older, mind!”

Arwen smiled. “When she’s older, of course. Besides…” she touched her stomach, feeling her baby kick suddenly. “My own children will benefit, I am sure, from one of the great folk of the Shire amongst them.”

“Alright. Go and ask your father” said Rosie, and then laughed as Elanor screamed in delight and ran off to find Sam. She shook her head at Arwen. “Oh dear, I’m afraid you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for.”


End file.
